Pneumatic self-playing musical instrument.



. L. B. DOMAN.

PNEUMATIC SELF PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. APPLICATION man Nov.2. 190s.

2 SHEETS-SHEET i.

Armin/1.

. NnRie/S PETERS 50 PHOTO-LITHn, WASHINGTON. D. C.

Patented June 1, 1915.v

L. B. DOMAN.

PNEUMATIC SELF PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION man Nov.28. 1908.

1, 141,62 1 Patented June l, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IiP-' 'mmm WIT/#5555.

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ATTORNEY HE MORRIS PETERS Co., FHOT0LITHO., WASHINGTON,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS B. DOMAIN, OF ELBRIDGE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AMPHION PIANO PLAYERCOMPANY, OF ELBRIDGE, NEVI YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PNEUMATIC SELF-PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1915.

Original application led. March 9, 1905, Serial No. 249,250. Divided andthis application filed November T0 all tti/om t may concern.'

Be it knoivn that I, LEWIS B. DoMAN, of Elbridge, in the county oiOnondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and use'tulInnirorements in Pneumatic Seltl'llaying Musical Instruments, ot whichthe following, taken in connection With the accompanying drawings, is afull, clear, and exact description.

This intention relates to certain improvements in pneumatic self-playingmusical instruments and re'lers more particularly to the sound producingaction involving the use of graded pneumatics forming the subject matteroi" my pending application No. 249,250, oit which the presentapplication is a division.

One ot the main objects of the present invention is to grade or vary thecapacity of certain sets oi the striker pneumatics so as to graduallysubdue the tones of the keys corresponding to the striker pneumatics ofgradually reduced capacity, or on the other hand to render certain partsof the musical selection more prominent than others. In this particularinstance I have shown the striker pneumatics for the bass keys of thepiano as gradually reduced in Width from right to leiit and it thereforefollows that the areas or capacities oit' the liker pneumatics for thebass tones are dillerent from tiose of the higher or treble tones of thescale as particularly pointed out in the original application #249,250previously referred to.

@ther objects and uses related to the construction and relativearrangement of the sound producing action Will be brought out in thefollowing description.

In the draiyings-Figure l is a front elevation partly broken away or' apneumatic self-playingl musical instrument showing;l portions of thestriker pneumatics as graded or gradually reduced from the right to leftot the scale. Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional View of thesame player taken on line 2-2, Fig. l.

The sound producing action comprises separate series of strikerpneumatics -land a Wind chest 2* in which is mounted a series of primarypneumatics -3- corresponding to the number of striker pneumatics, and acorresponding number of valves ---4 each controlled by its corre-Seria1No.464,988.

sponding primary pneumatic n3q to control the action of thecorresponding striker pneumatic.

lThe action of the primary pneumatic is controlled by a perforated musicsheet and tracker bar -G- and suitable ducts -7- leadin(T to the primarypneumatics --3- as best seen in Fig. 2.

The Wind inducing device comprises a bellows -8- and equalizer -9- whichis adapted to be operated by suitable pedals 10m and is connectedthrough the medium ont a conduit --l1- to the Wind chest for maintainingsuitable air tension in the wind chest and other parts of the soundproducing action in the manner described in mv pending applicationpreviously referred to.

The striker pneumatics -lare arranged in groups one above the other andare mounted upon separate supporting shelves 13M and -lll-, those ot'the upper set being connected by flexible tubes l5- to the Wind chestwhile those of the lower set are connected by similar tubes w16 to thesame Wind chest, the latter being also connected by flexible ducts 7 tothe tracker bar so that each set of striker pneumatics and also the Windchest constitute separate units in the structure capable of beingremoved or replaced and adjusted in position Without disturbing eitherof the other units.

The music sheet 5 is adapted to be Wound and univound from suitablerollers -IS- and --19 which are actuated by a suitable motor action -QO-and suitable connections betr-reen the motor action and rollers similarto that set forth in my application referred to but form no part of mypresent invention.

The motor action is actuated by the Wind inducing device -8- through themedium of a conduit and suitable tempogoverning device which is alsofully described in my pending application previously mentioned.

The expression or sound producing action is controlled by an expressiongoverning pneumatic w26" and suitable connections also described in myapplication referred to but form no part of my present invention.

Aside from the gradation or variation in the relatiye sizes of thestriker pneumat-ics as described, another feature of my invention is thedivision of the parts of the sound producing action into separate andseparable units as for example arranging the striker pneumatics inseparate sets one above the other upon separate supports and connectedto a separate Wind chest by flexible connections whereby each unit maybe adjusted or replaced independently of the other units.

The operation of in v invention 'will now be readily understood uponreference to the foregoing description and accompanying drawings.

Vfhat l claim is:

l. An anto-pneumatic piano playing device having' striker pneumatic'svaried in area from one part to another part or' the scale? those forthe bass tones being of less area than those for the treble tones.

E2, An auto-pneumatic piano Vplaying device having striker pneumaticsvaried in Width rorn one part to another part oit the scale.

3. In a 'self-playing musical instrument, a series of strikerpneuinatics for the bass notes graduaily reduced in capacity fromrightto left.

il. iin a self-playing musical instrument, a series of strikerpneumatics corresponding to different tones of the instrument, those forthe bass tones gradually decreasing in Width freni right toV left incombination -with means for controlling the operation of saidpneuniatics.

in Witness whereof l have hereunto set niy hand ythis 21st day 'ofNovember 1908.

L'EVlS EGEL/fill.

VVitness'es CLAUDE L. HAM-Lin, M. E. Ernro'r'r.

C'opes of this patent nay be obtained for :live 'cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of etents,

Washington, D. CI

